Search - commentary…

 
 
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 3, 2022

Junko Takase’s Akutagawa Prize-winning novel is a feminist’s nightmare

“Oishii Gohan ga Taberaremasu Yoni” reads at first like a work place drama but ultimately makes a sinister argument about contemporary feminism.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 30, 2022

Lessons learned from the tragedy of the Balkans

The people of the Balkan Peninsula have the unfortunate luck of living at the crossroads of an invasion route.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 30, 2022

China’s video game ambitions threaten to one-up Japan

Along with the EU, the world's second-largest economy, China, wants to use gaming to promote soft power. Japan should take that as a warning.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Nov 29, 2022

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter calls for focus on soccer before Iran game

In a tense and unusual news conference, Berhalter was questioned about U.S. immigration and naval policy while U.S. captain Tyler Adams was asked about discrimination in the United States.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 27, 2022

‘Gangnam Style’ brought K-pop to the world, but haunted its creator

In 2012, the song took over the internet, and it helped pave the way for the global success of Korean pop. But Psy spent years trying and failing to replicate the phenomenon.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 25, 2022

Researchers test mRNA technology for universal flu vaccine

A universal vaccine would not mean an end to flu seasons, but would replace the guess work that goes into developing annual shots months ahead of flu season each year.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Nov 24, 2022

Japan substitutes star in historic World Cup win over Germany

The Samurai Blue's shift of tactics to a three-back system paid dividends in the second half as Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano scored late to clinch a famous victory.
Japan Times
LIFE
Nov 22, 2022

Your guide to watching the World Cup from Tokyo

Tuning into games from Qatar looking more complex than a Messi dribble? Here's how to make sense of all of Tokyo's World Cup watch parties, streaming options and more.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 18, 2022

Tepid re-engagement: Kishida and Xi signal openness to repairing ties

While Thursday's meeting marked a step in the right direction, little progress was made in easing the fundamental frictions in the relationship.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 11, 2022

China’s new leaders back a more targeted 'COVID zero' approach

Politburo Standing Committee members have called for 'more decisive” measures to curb the spread of the virus so as to resume normal life and production as soon as possible.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 9, 2022

Putin's elite tremble as hard-liners call for ‘Stalinist’ steps

One senior official likened the current situation to a military dictatorship but without the military coup that usually precedes it.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 5, 2022

U.S.-China friction gives Kim Jong Un the freedom to fire away

North Korea's unprecedented barrage of missiles is underscoring the cost of Washington's tensions with Beijing, since China has shown little appetite for more sanctions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 3, 2022

‘Your Lovely Smile’: A sincere tribute to indie cinemas

In Kah Wai Lim's drama about a struggling director who wanders around Japan pitching his films to independent theaters, Hirobumi Watanabe plays a version of himself with heart and humor.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 28, 2022

China’s chest-thumping nationalism now goes too far, movement’s godfather says

Wang Xiaodong, once called the standard-bearer of Chinese nationalism, now fends off criticisms of being too moderate, even a traitor. “They've forgotten,” he said, “I created them.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 28, 2022

Notes from Setouchi: An autumnal spectacle of light and shadow

Artworks in abandoned houses play with the natural light found on the islands in the Seto Inland Sea.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Oct 18, 2022

What would be the signs China is preparing to invade Taiwan?

Most China experts believe that Xi Jinping would prefer to gain control of Taiwan through nonmilitary means, given that a conflict would be detrimental to other government initiatives.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 10, 2022

Screening procedure fails to prevent colon cancer deaths in large study

While people who underwent the exam were 18% less likely to develop colon cancer, the overall death rate among screened and unscreened people were the same at about 0.3%.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Oct 9, 2022

‘Plot Twist!’: Musk’s deal for Twitter lurches toward a close

Behind the scenes, Twitter's lawyers raced to verify Musk's renewed affinity for the deal, checking whether he had indeed asked lenders for the money they had earlier committed.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 9, 2022

Russian divers to inspect damage to blast-hit Crimea bridge key to Moscow's war

While still unclear if the blast was deliberate, the timing of damage to such high-profile infrastructure could further cloud Kremlin messages that all is going according to plan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 9, 2022

Just one bar in Japan named to World’s 50 Best Bar list

This year's rankings represent a bit of a decline for Japan's elite cocktail scene.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 6, 2022

The censor cannot hold: The pressure of controlling China's internet

'In China the line is blurred,' Zeng Jiajun said. 'You don't know specifically what will offend the government, so sometimes you will go beyond and censor more harshly.'
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 4, 2022

In Putin’s nuclear brinksmanship, weapons leave room for warning

The threats are part of a broad attempt by the Kremlin to intimidate the U.S. and Europe into cutting support for Ukraine and forcing Kyiv into negotiations on Moscow's terms.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 1, 2022

Can’t go forward, won’t go back: Truss’s government off to disastrous start

Less than a month in No. 10 Downing Street, Liz Truss and her team have already adopted an us-against-the-world mentality.
Japan Times
EDITORIALS
Sep 30, 2022

Time for Japan and China to get their relationship right

After 50 years of a normalized relationship, Japan and China need to work together — but that does not mean Tokyo should turn a blind eye to Beijing's misbehavior.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Sep 15, 2022

A sports media empire runs on ‘good vibes only’

As Jomboy Media has grown, the startup has kept up the positivity and energy that made them popular in the first place.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA
Sep 14, 2022

Suns owner banned one year and fined $10 million over workplace conduct

The NBA commissioned its investigation following an ESPN article in November 2021 that detailed allegations of racism and misogyny during Robert Sarver's tenure.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Sep 13, 2022

William Klein, who photographed the energy of city life, dies at 96

William Klein, one of his generation's most celebrated photographers, navigated multiple disciplines, breaking rules and expectations along the way.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 9, 2022

Queen Elizabeth's reign: Golden age, or last embers of a bygone era?

Some commentators describe her reign as a 'golden age' reminiscent of that of her namesake Elizabeth I, who ruled England during a period of growing power and cultural flourishing.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 7, 2022

A man who genuinely cared: Mourning the real Shinzo Abe

Though the slain former Japanese prime minister belonged to the hawkish wing of his party, he was not the unbending nationalist conservative that many foreigners deemed him to be.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 4, 2022

Traders find haven from global stock gloom in Southeast Asia

The growing bullish chorus points to a reopening of Southeast Asia that's bringing back a swarm of tourists, as well as booming domestic demand that's helping shield it from a global slump.

Longform

People in cities across Japan will pop into their local convenience store for any number of products they believe will help them with a night of drinking.
Hangover cures are everywhere in Japan — but do they work?